Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-09-16
COMMUNICATIONS.

the work of another year few faults
and hints to parents and teachers
NAV not be out of place at this time
Since the first of the school year
teachers examinations have been held
in different sections of the county
There have been four hundred and
eighteen applicants for license to
teach. Out of this number two hun.
dred and seventy-three have been
able to reach the established grade
One hundred and torty-fve have fail
ed, fifty-four of whom were old teach
ers. All those who made an average
of sixty per cent. on all the branches
and fell below fifty per cent. in none
were granted certificates. The grade
will be ten per cent. higher next year.
The average of all the certificates
granted is one and four-ifths, count
ing arithmetic as two branches. The
highest grade was taken by FL. Ii.
Critchlow, Kiester; the second by j.
NJ. Shields, Worth township; and the
third by John N. Mclaughlin, Win.
field township.
Those who have failed are deserv-
ing ofsympathy, but however pitiable
their condition may now be they
should remember that there is "a
Balm in Gilead." We have several
good Academies where, at small
expense, they can brighten up and
prepare themselves for the work.
Our schools have been moving on
ward and those who do not keep pace
with the progress must be left behind.
1t is very. unpleasant duty to no.
tify an old teacher that he has not
passed q satisfactory examination,
but the necessity of the case demands
it. The education of thirty or forty
children is of too much Importance to
be entrusted to one who is likely to
fail in scholarship Of course, some
teachers may have the scholarship
and fail in other points, but this can
not be determined by an examination.
If experience shows the teacher to be
unworthy in any respect he will be
dropped. The best things for the
schools, regardless of the individual
interests of the teachers, is the motto.
The teacher is not only expected to
give instruction but to choose and
plan the studies for the pupils,
This point has been overlooked by
MANY of our teachers. They have
been in the habit Of allowing the pu-
pills to pursue whatever studies he,
or his parents may think best, with
out any regard to the pupils real
wants or the the system and order of
the school. Thus it is that few
pupils begin grammar when they en-
ter the third reading class, many
when they enter tie fifth reader. and
some never. Glass after class is
formed to meet the wants of irregular
pupils until very often the number
reaches thirty, when it should never
be more than twenty-five or twenty
four in extreme eases The greatest
evil in our country schools with
which the teacher has to contend is
the lack of uniformity in the pursuit
of studies
1t is the teachers business to see
when he organizes the school that
each pupil takes the studies suited to
his advancement. For example:
Every pupil in the school should have
writing. The pupils in the primary
grade should have their states ruled
and write on them. All above the
first reading class should use pen and
ink. There should be no exceptions
to this rule. When the pupil enters
the third reading class, and very oft
en- before this time, he should begin
language and primary geography,
and when he is ready for the fourth
reader history should be added to
these studies Ali the pupils are re-
quired by the law to study physiol-
ogy and hygiene. The teacher has
not the power to excuse any one from
this study.
The teachers standing shall de-
pend very much on his ability to
properly organize his school. Sure
ly the teacher who will labor earn
estly to have each pupil where he
belongs and then pursue the routine
of labor faithfully and diligently until
the last hour of the term is over is
worthy of much more praise and
commentator than he who will al
low his school to shape itself as it will
and then close the term with q pub
lie demonstration, the preparation
for which has been stolen from the
time which did not belong to the
teacher and which he had no right to
to appropriate for such purposes.
1t may be objected that very often
the parents refuse to furnish their
children with the necessary books.
In such cases the teacher has not the
liberty to excuse the pupil from pur-
suing the regular order OF studies
If the parent can not be induced by
moderate means to supply his child
with the necessary books, the School
Board should be applied to for aid.
1t will not do to jeopardize the best
interests of the child because the pa
rent is little near-sighted.
Sample copies of reporting cards
have been forwarded to the different
School Boards. 1t is hoped that
they may see their way clear to fur.
nish these cards to their schools.
The use of these cards will require
the teacher to hold written cxamina.
tions at the close of each month in
the advanced grades and oral exami,
nations in the primary grades But,
if the teacher Grams his pupils from
the beginning of the month to its
close with special view to the exam.
ination, the object of both the exam
ination and reports will be defeated
The teacher should remember that
his success is not measured by the
per cent. of correct answers his
pupils give to the series of questions
submitted in the examinations.
The questions employed should
be test of the pupils knowledge o.
subjects and not his ability to repeat
words-a test Of his power to observe
to think. to reason and to express
what he knows. They should place
training before examining, and cul
ture before technics. 1t is true thai